The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-04-14

evidenced by the fact that he paid for
the tract he owns only three dolIs,a
an acre, four or five years ago. Ho;,
a working man, a thinking man a nro
gressive man, and one who reads ona
thinks for a purpose. He had read 90
what had been accomplished in Coon
gia and elsewhere by the intensive
system of farming, and he concludod
that what could be done in that limo ~
Georgia could, with the same apnlic..
ton and perseverance, be done in
North Carolina. Accordingly, he So.
lected the two acres referred to in b;s
communication, and went to work ELo
a man who meant business. He tells
what he did. We need not expect that
were, but we refer to it because il is .
practical demonstration of what can ho
done when men have the will and tho
determination to do. If one man, wa
ask, a do this, why can't another?
If it can be done or one poor farm. WHY
not upon another? If it can be done
upon two acres, why not upon two
thousand Why could not every far.
mer in North Carolina, whether he
cultivate cotton, tobacco, wheat, corn,
oats, grass or any other farm product,
lay off one or two acres and see what
could be done upon these. If he aims
to raise cotton, for instance, let him.
as Furman did in Georgia, learn what
the constituent elements of cotton are.
what the cotton plant feeds upon, and
supply that experiment acre with an
abundance of the necessary plant food.
If tobacco, wheat, corn, oats, grass,
ETC., let him study the constituent ele-
ments of these, as Mr.. Benbow did
with wheat, and so feed his expert,
mental acre as he fed the one of these
that he desired to cultivate. The re.
suits on this acre would be a sufficient
test of the possibilities on all his acres
and IN unerring guide to operations
On a more extensive space. 1t is re-
markable, and not only remarkable,
but astonishing, that among SO many
farmers, not only in this but in other
States, there r SO few experiments,
SO few that depart from the beaten
paths and venture to find a nearer or
a better way to success.
In this connection we have a sug-
gestion to make. There are already
many farmers clubs in North Caro-
lima; three months hence there will be
many more, and every month will add
to the number. These clubs are com
posed of the most earnest, active and
progressive farmers in the State. They
take a lively interest in everything
that appertains to the farm, and dis
cuss at their meetings such topics as
are of interest to farmers. Some OF
them, to encourage good methods on
the farm, have competition tests and
offer premiums for the best yields on
given amounts of land of certain
crops. If each of these clubs were
to select say one acre, at some con-
venient, central point, and choose the
best farmer in the club to do the work,
and then jointly share the expense OF
fertilizers, compost, work, &C., this one
acre becomes the model experimental
farm of the club, where theories could
be demonstrated as effectedly as upon
a thousand acres and at a nominal ex'
pense to each member, even If the
crop raised did not return sufficient to
pay the expense of the work lone
BY cooperation in this way much
might be accomplished and information
the value of which in dollars and cents
cannot be estimated, gained in a short
while, benefting not only those direct
ly interested in the experiments, ou'
all other farmers who are willing 10
learn and willing to follow when 1ne
the way to success was pointed OUT